The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-06-02
SPECIAL CROPS.
Rendered before the Farmers Institute
held IN Greensboro M the 10Th
and 21st Of May.
BY W. E. BENBOW.

and soil, in access to markets and de-
mand for products, [ shall take the
ground that we cannot afford to de-
vote our whole time and attention to
any one special crop to the exclusion
or neglect Of all others.
Taking the position [ do may IN.
trude somewhat upon another subject
assigned to another person, namely:
diversified Crops" by Col. L. l..
Polk. He, however, will not lack for
something to say that will be worth
hearing.
The position I have taken seems to
me to be the only true one. We must
not, as a rule, devote all u attention
to any one special crop. But if we
ever hope to see Guilford county
thickly dotted with fertile farms, and
occupied by thrifty, contented and
happy farmers, we must give special
attention to many crops. We are too
familiar with the embarrassment, the
uneasiness, the discomfort, the anxiety,
the scarcity, which, giving all our at
tention to one crop, has brought upon
us and we cannot, certainly, still be
blind to the poverty into which such
a reckless course is rapidly carrying
us. [ am not before you, brother
farmers, to make war against the cul-
tivation of the weed, so long as it
occupied a decent position on the
farm. But when it comes to the front,
and demands the very best soil of
your farm, demands all the manures
and composts you can accumulate
upon your farm, and yet not content
it compells you to mortgage your crop
and your farm to secure more and
c~ostlier fertilizers to crafty It's in
satiable appetite.
And still it's demands continue. It
demands your constant time and at
tention from New Year till Christmas,
and not unfrequently does it amuse
you during the holidays. It will
scarcely allow you time to gather the
scanty harvest which it permits you
only SO imperfectly to provide for.
And after you have given it all it
could ask, gratiied it's every desire for
seven or eight months, then it boldly
demands that you shall drive sleep
from your eyes and slumber from
your eyelids, and watch by it con-
stantly from sun to sun, and from
dark till dawn, as carefully as you
would a loved child, scorched with
fever and racked with pain. Then it
still demands that you shall guard with
the utmost care the temperature of it's
apartments, even more closely than
that of an invalid.
And if you dare neglect even the
slightest of these demands, it unblush-
ingly denies you the most meagre
compensation for the care and service
you have rendered.
The old institution of slavery is
now looked upon as cruel and tyran-
ical, yet many Of us remember to have
seen, during our boyhood days, the
black nan as he followed the pillow or
welded the hoe, happy and contented.
And when the tops of our distant
mountains have cleaned in the winter
sun, and the mantle of pure white was
spread over field and wood, we have
heard him sing, with an air of salts
faction:
"Cold frosty mornin',
Niger mighty fat,
Ak on de shoulder
'Tarted to de wood"
The glossy brightness that shone
from his plump features, told of a
liberal supply of bacon and cabbage.
He did not grumble at six days CON
slant toll in every seven, for as Satur-
days sun was sinking to rest behind
the western hills, his whole being was
all aglow and radiant with. happiness
Of the thought of the good time com
ing. And about the time the stars
began to play at hide and seek along
the milky way, Sambo might be seer
with his banjo under his arm, taking
the path that leads down toward the
other place, blithesome as a colt, hum.
ming as he went, little snatches about
his Liza Jane.
Sambo was well clothed and we'll
fed, and frolicked half the time. We
have to boast today of u free insti-
buttons and Of our liberties. [ appeal
to you, We noble, industrious, liberty
loving sons Of Guilford, you men who
are devoting all your time and energy
to tobacco to the neglect of almost
everything else. And yet, after you
have served it faithfully day and
night, and yielded implicit obedience